The Brewery Modernization Act was introduced into the House today – HB406 sponsored by Representative Oliver Robinson of Birmingham. No new bills were introduced in the Senate today, so expect our companion Senate bill next week.
People always ask how they can help, and I can’t stress this enough – the best way to help is to advocate for our bill with your own legislators! Individual phone calls and emails really do make a difference. I think we showed how powerful they can be last year. Remember that the Alabama legislators represent small communities. While US Congressmen represent several hundred thousand constituents, state legislators represent only a few thousand in small communities throughout Alabama. They are generally accessible and are open to listen directly to you. State representatives often list their home phone number so that you can easily reach them.
Like last year, we at Free the Hops have a tool that will help you find your legislators and learn about their record with Free the Hops and their position on the Brewery Modernization Act.
Go to that page, enter your address, and you can learn who your legislators are and their historic and current support for our legislation. Then please contact your Representative (on the right-hand side) and tell them you want them to support HB406: The Brewery Modernization Act, sponsored by Oliver Robinson.
You will likely find that your senator and representative are either Unknown, Leans Yes, or Leans No on the Brewery Modernization Act. The Leaners are all based on my best guess. The Unknowns are where I didn’t feel comfortable making a guess. The very few supporters are either our sponsors or legislators I have personally contacted and heard back from.
The position estimates are currently soft because we haven’t yet heard from you. The majority of our estimates of support come from our members and other supporters who have called or emailed their legislators and reported back to us. Our progress really does depend on your activism.
So please contact your State Representative and help us pass the Brewery Modernization Act. And if you hear back from them, let us know so we can track our support in the Alabama legislature.
